France national team coach Zidane held a press conference after announcing the new national team squad and answered questions from the media. In the first part of the press conference, Zidane explained why he selected players such as Pablo Pagis, Gusto, and Tchouameni, and spoke about Doue's development and Zaire-Emery's role in the France team. He also addressed his goalkeeper choices and looked ahead to the two upcoming matches.
Reporter: There's an unexpected name on the list, Pablo Pagis. Can you comment on his selection? Why did you choose him?
Zidane: Okay. Pablo Pagis was selected tonight because we had a small issue with Maghnes Akliouche. He has a minor injury and won't play this weekend. It's as simple as that: Maghnes Akliouche couldn't join us for this training camp, so we had to pick another player. Pablo was already on the preliminary list, and he's a player I wanted to observe. He's a very interesting player with a different style, and it's good to be able to watch him during this training camp.
Reporter: In September, you called up Doue and said you hoped he would play on the left wing. Now the situation up front is a bit different because of some injuries. Does this mean his role might change? Are you considering playing him as a central striker?
Zidane: Yes. You've always focused on this point, but I simply said he could play several positions. In this training camp and these two matches, he can also play in his preferred position, which he may like even more now. That means he can play as a central striker, and there's absolutely no problem with that.
Reporter: Gusto, who was not selected last time, is in this squad, even though he hasn't had much playing time at Chelsea. What made you trust him and include him in this 23-man squad?
Zidane: It's also because Kounde has a minor injury, so a choice had to be made. I think it's a matter of priority; he was the next player on the list. In any case, he knows the France team and has played for the national team. As you said, his playing time has been limited, but he has still played. I think he played in five or six of 12 matches. So it's simply giving him another opportunity to be selected for France. Again, this is the coach's choice. For this training camp, this is my choice, and I believe he deserves it.
Reporter: Didn't you consider Zaire-Emery for right-back?
Zidane: No, not at all. No, no, no. Zaire-Emery... if you want my opinion, he's very good in midfield. For me, yes. This is not a club, this is the national team, this is France. In any case, this is how I work: when I pick a player, I want to see him play in his own position. As for the earlier question about Doue, that's because he started his career on the left wing, played a bit on the right, and also in the center. But for Zaire-Emery, I prefer to see him in midfield.
Reporter: Tchouameni is also back in the national team; he missed the first training camp. In the first four matches you watched, you looked for a technically gifted defensive midfielder in front of the defense, excellent on the ball and creative, like Lucas Da Cunha. Can Tchouameni fill this role for France under your coaching?
Zidane: They are players with different styles. I think he has found his place in the national team again. He has recovered his match fitness, meaning he is no longer troubled by injuries. He had a minor injury during the first training camp, and now he's back with France. We'll see how to arrange things later. There are two matches, and we'll field a lineup for each. The players must be ready to play in both. Then it will be up to me to make the choices, based on the tactical requirements I want to see in the game.
Reporter: Some players have returned to the France team, such as Gusto and Thuram. Meanwhile, some players unfortunately couldn't be selected because of injury. Is your team-building philosophy to maintain continuity, not rush to expand the squad, and trust familiar faces?
Zidane: No, not at all. Not at all. That's what national team selection is: I pick the players, and today's squad is the one I've chosen. But it's neither about choosing only established players nor about picking all new ones. I want to observe players, and I have the freedom to choose, for example, Pablo Pagis, because Maghnes Akliouche was injured, which created this opportunity. Today I made this choice, and I want to see how he performs in our team. I don't know what will happen next. He is now in the 23-man squad, there are two matches, and once the lineups are set, everyone will see how much he plays.
Reporter: A question about a player selected for the last training camp: Desire Doue. Besides being an excellent player with great potential, what is most appealing about Desire Doue? Has he impressed you deeply?
Zidane: Yes, but that's true of all my players; I love all of them. As for Desire, his recent performances have been excellent. He is very young, incredibly talented, and, most importantly, he is a good listener. What I like is that he is a young player who is eager to improve, eager to win honors, and very humble and willing to learn. I really like his performances on the field and his attitude. If I had to say, I see myself in him as I was back then, because I also yearned to improve and listened to the older players and those around me. I think he is doing the same thing, and he is doing it very well.
Reporter: A simple question: this is the first gap between two training camps since you took charge. What have you been doing during this time? How did you analyze the players selected today? What ultimately led you to choose a player with Pablo Pagis's characteristics?
Zidane: I mainly scouted. I took the time to watch many matches and scouted the selected players as well as other candidates. As for Pablo, as you said, I chose him because he was on our preliminary list of 60 to 64 players. Maghnes Akliouche's injury created an opportunity to call him up.
Reporter: How did you make your choices at goalkeeper? Specifically, Jean Butez was selected for the last training camp, and Robin Risser, who was previously unavailable because of injury, is now selected after a difficult week. Can you explain your thinking?
Zidane: The choice was actually very simple. For the first training camp, Robin was originally planned, but he had a minor injury at the time, so we called up Jean Butez. Jean Butez performed very well and is a great guy. For this training camp, I wanted to give Robin a chance. It's also an opportunity for Giovanni Fabbian to observe him closely.
Reporter: Regarding the recall of Thuram, why did you decide to call him up this time? Also, a small question about your return to the San Siro, where you always played a decisive role in the past...
Zidane: Not every time was decisive!
Reporter: How does it feel to return to the San Siro, especially with Thuram playing there?
Zidane: As for Marcus, it's also an opportunity. Someone in the team was injured, and this is a chance to see Marcus working with me. This is our second training camp, he knows the France team, and I want to look at him closely. As for returning to Milan, it's a magnificent stadium with a rich history. Playing at San Siro is extraordinary for a player. I have fond memories, although I wasn't always decisive in every match back then.
Reporter: Regarding Zaire-Emery's return, what specifically do you expect from him? Where do you place him in the current midfield hierarchy? Do you think he can shake up the current pecking order?
Zidane: What I expect from him is simply to be himself and play at the level he shows for his club. My only specific request is that he play his part in midfield, nothing more. I greatly admire this player; he is young, talented, and eager to prove himself. We have two matches, and we'll see afterward how things are arranged and deployed.
Reporter: This training camp is much shorter than the last one, which means we have to get straight to the point. What is your core priority right now? What do you most hope to adjust and improve compared with the last training camp?
Zidane: It's not about adjustments, but the time is indeed much tighter. The last training camp lasted two weeks, and this one is only a short week, with two matches to play. We will do our best to prepare and win the games. Next Thursday, we face Italy at San Siro, which will be a tough match, and then we return home to play Bordeaux. The players must be ready, and I know they are ready. Together as France, we are going to win these two matches.